


ghosted

by PaigeOfSpace



Series: ShiHou Month [3]
Category: Kill la Kill (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/F, Fluffy Ending, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, M/M, Minor Jakuzure Nonon/Kiryuuin Satsuki, Minor Mankanshoku Mako/Matoi Ryuuko, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, iori kisses gamagoori but like dont worry about it, just like in canon HEYO, like it's not plot-relevant but These Girls Kiss Y'all!, these girls are also the only reason anything actually occurs in this fic at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 08:19:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16472054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PaigeOfSpace/pseuds/PaigeOfSpace
Summary: “Dude, nice Frankenstein costume!” The newest guest said to Gamagoori, who gave him a respectful nod. “And you’re a… mad scientist? Cool, cool,” he added, looking Shiro up and down. Before Shiro could correct him, he was gone.“I’m Frankenstein, he’s the monster,” he said to no one, and finished off his punch. Everything was not fine.Tonight would be the first time he’d seen Houka since their graduation.





	ghosted

**Author's Note:**

> i turned this in to my creative writing class using the names from the bully la bully video and i got an A so like, happy fuckin shihou month i guess

Shiro swirled orange punch around in a red Solo cup, seated at the bar separating the Mankanshokus’ living room from their kitchen. The house was on the smaller side, but what the party venue lacked in size, it more than made up for in decor. There were fake cobwebs strung on every available surface, including all the light fixtures. The webs cast odd shadows onto the walls, which were decorated with images of skeletons, vampires, and werewolves. Cheesy plastic knicknacks of witches and spiders were strewn between bowls of candy, some of which were attached to zombie hands that would emit shrieking noises and slap at hands that reached into the bowl before releasing and allowing the partygoer to retrieve a mini KitKat or Snickers. Though the whole thing was really not Shiro’s favorite aesthetic, he could certainly appreciate the Mankanshokus for going all-out with it.

Underneath the rumble of laughter, conversation, and “[The Monster Mash](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOFCQ2bfmHw),” Shiro heard the doorbell ring followed by the barking of the family’s bright orange pumpkin of a pug, and his eyes flicked up to the front of the room. A short boy dressed as a zombie, the younger of the two Mankanshoku siblings, opened the door and - no, it was just another local Shiro didn’t know. He took a sip of his punch and sighed.

“Is something wrong, Iori?” Gamagoori asked from the position he’d taken up beside the smoking cauldron of a punch bowl, protecting it from being surreptitiously spiked. Before Shiro could open his mouth to inform Gamagoori that everything was fine, they were interrupted.

“Dude, nice Frankenstein costume!” The newest guest said to Gamagoori, who gave him a respectful nod. “And you’re a… mad scientist? Cool, cool,” he added, looking Shiro up and down. Before Shiro could correct him, he was gone.

“ _I’m_ Frankenstein, he’s the monster,” he said to no one, and finished off his punch. Everything was not fine.

Tonight would be the first time he’d seen Houka since their graduation.

* * *

Since Shiro was young, his closest friend had been Satsuki. But as soon as Honnouji Academy opened its doors, both their lives became quite full, and as a result they spent far less time together. Sure, he still served beneath her as the Sewing Club President, but it wasn’t the same. And eventually, the void Satsuki left in his life was filled by the Information and Strategy chair, Inumuta. Shiro worked with him far more often than he did the other three Elites, and over the years a companionship bloomed. They stayed late running tests and compiling data, shared lunch and laughter, and spent their rare offtime together, playing silly computer games or working on personal projects in amicable silence. In their third year, their friendship became something more. Oh, they never defined it, they were both too busy for proper dating in the midst of what was essentially a military coup transformed into a battle for the fate of humanity, but Shiro knew what unspoken words were hidden behind Houka’s tender gazes, answering with gentle shoulder brushes and soft smiles that he shared with no one else.

Then suddenly, it was all over. The world was saved, Honnouji was to be closed for good, and they were headed to universities in vastly different parts of the country. Shiro remembered Houka telling him after the ceremony that of course he’d keep in touch, sounding almost offended at the insinuation he wouldn’t. With his heart full of hope for the future, Shiro believed him.

But then things changed. Houka became distant and cold. Their video conversations became more and more infrequent, Houka claiming he was too busy most times Shiro tried to call him. Shiro wanted to believe Houka - university was not easy for him either - but he couldn’t shake the nagging thought that Houka had always made time for him before. After a few months of being turned away Shiro gave up and tried to put Houka out of his mind, because dwelling hurt too much. He had his studies to keep him busy, and every once in a while he would talk to Satsuki or the other Elites. Things were alright. But thoughts of Houka still lingered at the back of his mind.

Fast forward several more months, and Mankanshoku Mako was throwing a Halloween party, and she had invited everyone from Honnouji, even Hououmaru Rei (who, though she had declined, was reportedly quite moved by Mankanshoku’s olive branch). Though Shiro _did_ appreciate the gesture, he didn’t plan on going so far out of his way for a Halloween party hosted by someone he was barely acquainted with. That was, until Satsuki had off-handedly mentioned that Houka would be in attendance.

Suddenly Mankanshoku’s silly party became the most important thing in Shiro’s life. He sent his RSVP and informed Satsuki that he’d changed his mind and would be going after all. Soon after, Gamagoori asked the former Sewing Club President and current fashion and design student for costume help. Shiro hadn’t yet come up with a costume for himself, and the matching idea was a stroke of genius - Gamagoori was large and imposing, a perfect monster, while Shiro was the mad genius behind the idea, and goodness knows he had plenty of lab coats he could tailor to the purpose. And if Houka felt slighted or jealous that Shiro was matching with someone who wasn’t him, well, that would be just fine.

However, Shiro had vastly overestimated the number of people who were familiar with the difference between Frankenstein and Frankenstein’s monster. Even though they had arrived at the same time and Shiro had remained nearby Gamagoori since, not a single person had been able to put two and two together. Even worse, Houka was nowhere to be found yet - can’t make a person jealous who isn’t even there.

* * *

 

So here Shiro was, in the kitchen of a girl he barely knew, refilling his plastic cup with shitty punch left sadly unspiked while “The Monster Mash” ended and “[Thriller](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z85lxckrtzg)” kicked in. Dr. and Mrs. Mankanshoku, dressed as a hamburger and a hotdog respectively, shouted with excitement and started dancing together in the middle of the overcrowded room, not caring how many teenagers were gawking at them or if their daughter was around to be embarrassed (though from what little Shiro knew of the girl, he was confident she wouldn’t have been). It was actually kind of endearing, Shiro thought, returning to his bar stool.

Just then, the pug dashed underfoot, barking loud enough to be heard over the King of Pop as he announced a new arrival, though the doorbell hadn’t been rung. Mankanshoku’s little brother opened the door, and Shiro inhaled sharply as Houka walked in.

Shiro stood paralyzed by the bar, cup held before his face as though he was about to take a sip, taking in every detail of Houka’s appearance. At first Shiro thought he hadn’t worn a costume at all, but upon closer inspection he saw that his sweatshirt had an iron-on image of the ghost emoji haphazardly placed on the front, bisected by the zipper. _Figures he’s back to wearing nothing but ratty old hoodies without me around,_ Shiro thought with a small smirk. But aside from the specter adorning his clothing, nothing about Houka had changed - he was exactly the same as Shiro remembered, and it ignited a pang in his chest. He want nothing more than to march over there, grab Houka’s face in his hands and -

Houka turned and looked right at him.

 _Crap!_ Shiro immediately looked down into his cup.

“Oh, hello Inumuta,” he heard Gamagoori say, completely oblivious to the sea of different emotions washing over him.

“Hello, Gamagoori. Long time no see,” Houka replied in his usual even tone of voice as he approached the two of them. “How is life at the ironworks treating you?”

“Very well, thank you for asking,” Gamagoori answered. “And yourself? Studying hard at university I assume?”

“More like hardly studying, actually. My classes are quite easy. Well, for me, at least,” Though he still couldn’t bring himself to look at Houka, Shiro could picture perfectly his cocky grin as he bragged about his intellectual prowess. Gamagoori gave a grunt that sounded as though he disapproved but clearly saw the futility of lecturing the former Information and Strategy Chair.

“Anyway, I came over to say that I like your costume. Both of you,” he added, and Shiro could feel Houka’s gaze boring into him. “Doctor Frankenstein and his monster, yes?”

Shiro couldn’t help it.

“Yes, finally, _thank_ you!” he shouted, looking up with a smile, only to be met with Houka’s cool, borderline disinterested expression. His heart dropped.

 _He’s not jealous. He doesn’t give a shit!_ A multitude of thoughts swirled in Shiro’s head. _This was such a stupid, immature idea. I shouldn’t be here. But really, what the fuck is his problem with me!?_

And then Shiro did something really stupid.

“Thank you,” he said again, his voice now saccharine, as he took Gamagoori’s hand. “Don’t we make a great pair?”

And he kissed Gamagoori. Right on the lips.

As he held the kiss, tasting the vomit-green grease paint he’d helped apply earlier and getting a strong whiff of Gamagoori’s body odor, Shiro knew that what he was doing was wrong. Gamagoori himself gave a small noise of surprise, though thankfully he didn’t push Shiro away outright. But when Shiro broke apart from him, he saw that Houka’s eyes were wide with dismay.

Shiro smiled sweetly. _Got him._

Houka quickly regained his composure, clearing his throat and excusing himself to go say hello to Satsuki. As soon as he was gone, Shiro let go of Gamagoori’s hand and quickly apologized.

“I’m so sorry, I don’t know what came over-”

“Iori, what was… that?” Gamagoori asked. He sounded more confused than anything, which Shiro was grateful for. And if nothing else, he owed Gamagoori an explanation.

“I was trying to get a reaction out of Inumuta,” He explained sheepishly.

“What sort of a reaction?” Gamagoori raised an eyebrow.

“You’re really going to make me say it out loud, huh?” Shiro sighed. “Fine. I was trying to make him jealous, okay? That’s why I kissed you. That’s why I came up with the stupid matching costumes, that’s why I’m here at this damn party!”

“But you two are close friends…” Gamagoori began.

“Not anymore, we’re not. He ghosted me after graduation.” Shiro laughed bitterly. “But Satsuki told me he was going to the party, and I thought maybe, if he saw me acting close with someone else…” Shiro grew quiet. It was the first time he’d told anyone about his woes.

“Iori, that is extremely deceitful and dishonest,” Gamagoori scolded, “I’m disappointed. You’re better than this.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Shiro said, pinching the bridge of his nose under his glasses. He already felt bad enough, and now Gamagoori, ever the righteous one, was lecturing him. Though he supposed it was what he deserved.

“You should go find him and apologize, and explain why you’re upset with him,”

“W-what?” Shiro’s head shot up. “No, I can’t do that!”

“Why can’t you?” Gamagoori asked, genuinely curious.

“Because… because I can’t!” Of course Gamagoori would believe a straightforward approach to be best, but there was no way Shiro could face Houka, certainly not _now,_ after he’d just locked lips with their mutual friend.

“It’s the right thing to do, Shiro, I know you know that,” Gamagoori said.

“Whatever, you’re not in charge of me, Mr. _ex_ -Disciplinary Chair, you can’t tell me what to do anymore!” Shiro said over his shoulder as he stormed away, towards the back of the house. “Have a fun party, Frankenstein!”

Gamagoori sighed and returned to his vigil over the punch. Mrs. Mankanshoku, parched after her intense dance break, came over to the bar to quench her thirst.

“Lovers’ quarrel, dear?” she asked with a knowing smile as she ladled the cheap orange beverage into her cup.

“Of a sort,” Gamagoori stoically answered.

* * *

Houka lingered near the front of the house, beside a plastic table practically straining under the weight of all the Halloween-themed party treats laid out. These included cupcakes decorated with icing spiderwebs, pigs-in-a-blanket made to look like little mummies, and croquettes, which, while not Halloween-themed in the slightest (unless one counted the mystery and possible horror of what they might’ve contained), were a staple of any Mankanshoku get-together. But Houka didn’t feel like eating. Though he was stewing on the inside, to anyone looking he would have appeared completely calm as he stared out cooly over the crowd of people dancing along to "[The Time Warp](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aizCMO-mI1Q)." That is, anyone except…

“What’s got _you_ so riled up?” a nasal female voiced asked.

Houka looked to his left to see the final two Elites: Jakuzure, dressed in a black bodysuit decorated with a glow-in-the-dark skeleton and her face painted to resemble a skull, and behind her, Sanageyama, wearing one of those ridiculous inflatable ostrich rider costumes.

“Now what gave you that impression?” He answered with a slightly haughty inflection. If these two caught wind of what was going on, he’d never hear the end of it. But in response, Jakuzure simply pointed at his upper arm, which he was drumming on repeatedly with his fingers, a nervous tic Probe Regalia had left him with. He immediately stopped and seized his arm tightly. He hadn’t even noticed he’d been doing it.

“Dude, we’ve been friends for years,” Sanageyama told him, the fabric of the ostrich legs making an obnoxious _swish-swish_ noise as he stepped closer, “We know when something’s up with you.”

Houka sighed.

“Really, it’s nothing you should concern yourselves with. In fact, I’d appreciate it greatly if you left right now and pretended this conversation didn’t happen.”

Jakuzure, of course, was having none of it.

“It’s got something to do with Iorin, doesn’t it?” she asked with a devilish smirk.

“What!? How did you know that?” Houka hissed at her, struggling to maintain his composure.

“Oh come _on_ , you nerds were like a couple of four-eyed peas in a pod back in the day! If you’re not joined at the hip anymore, something _must_ be up!” She answered confidently.

“Well, you really are a clever little demon! Horns and pitchfork might’ve made a more fitting costume, don’t you think?” Houka replied sharply, unable to keep himself from smirking. Even in as bad of a mood as he was now, it did feel good to be back with old friends.

Before Jakuzure could retort with a quip of her own, however, Sanageyama spoke up.

“So, what’s the problem? Did he stand you up or somethin’?” he asked, crossing his arms. The image of Shiro kissing Gamagoori flashed in Houka’s mind, and it was all he could do to keep himself from physically recoiling at the thought.

“‘Or something,’” Houka answered grimly, “He’s apparently together with… someone.”

“Oh shit man, that sucks,” Sanageyama told him, throwing his arm around Houka’s shoulders in an attempt to commiserate. “Tell ya what, how about you and I ditch and go do something fun to get your mind off that broken heart of yours.”

“As much as I’d _love_ to get [capernoited](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9905504) with you, I’m afraid I have to decline,” Houka shrugged Sanageyama’s arm off of him. “I’d at least like to say hello to Satsuki before I leave, but I haven’t seen her around anywhere. Besides, unrequited feelings aren’t even what I’m upset about.” He added, his face growing slightly warm. “I didn’t know we’d grown so far apart… he’s dating fucking Gamagoori, and I didn’t even know!”

“Well, we all are aware how much you hate not to know things,” a familiar voice said from behind him. Sanageyama grinned, and Jakuzure’s face seemed to skip ahead two months and light up like it was Christmas. As Houka whirled around, all three of them exclaimed in unison:

“Satsuki!”

* * *

 

The Mankanshokus’ house was so small it was impossible to completely escape the ruckus of the party without stepping outside, but Shiro’s lab coat was not made to insulate from the cold autumn wind and he soon retreated back indoors, figuring he could just stay towards the back of the house and wait until the party died down a bit to make his escape. However, when he stepped through the backdoor, he found that the laundry room was occupied by none other than the hostess herself, Mankanshoku Mako, making out with Matoi against the washing machine… each wearing one half of a two-person horse costume. Shiro found himself caught between schmaltziness and nauseation.

“Oh, hey, it’s Iori! Hi, Iori!” Mankanshoku said cheerily, while Matoi turned beet red. “Are you enjoying the party? I hope you are, my whole family worked super super hard on making it awesome!”

“Yeah, it’s great,” Shiro said, giving what he thought was a convincing smile. Mankanshoku was the last person he wanted to bother with his silly problem. What Shiro didn’t know was that she was far more perceptive than she appeared at first blush.

“Oh no, something _is_ wrong! What is it? Did someone take the last cupcake that you _really_ wanted?” She punctuated herself with a gasp. “Did someone say your dance moves were lame!? Tell me who it is, I’ll talk sense into them! No one treats my friends that way!”

“Mako, please,” Matoi said quietly, clearly embarrassed and a little pissed that her alone time with her paramour had been interrupted. Then a thought struck her, and she addressed Shiro. “Hey, where’s the other nerd, anyway? I thought you two were inseparable,”

Shiro’s fake smile faltered, just a little, but it was all either of the two girls needed to figure out what the real problem was.

“Oh! My! God!” Mankanshoku exclaimed, hands on her cheeks. “It’s Inumuta, isn’t it? He’s your true love, and he has abandoned you! You’re alone, and sad, and full of longing! It’s a perfect tragedy! Well, Mankanshoku Mako can fix this disaster! Come on, let’s go find him!”

Mankanshoku hopped off the washing machine, grabbed Shiro’s hand, and marched out of the laundry room, dragging him behind her. Matoi sighed with a smile and followed them out.

“No, really, I don’t want to talk to him, it’s fine-” Shiro said desperately, struggling to free himself from her grasp, but it was futile. Her grip was iron and her mind was made up.

“It is _not_ fine!” Mankanshoku told him, eyes forward. “ _I’m_ the hostess of this party, so it’s _my_ job to make sure all my guests are having the time of their lives! You can’t enjoy yourself until your problem with Inumuta is fixed, and I know for a _fact_ the only way you can fix hurt feelings is to talk about them!”

“Can’t you do something?” Shiro pleaded with Matoi, having given up trying to convince her girlfriend. But Matoi only laughed.

“There’s no stopping her when she gets like this,” she told him, gazing with fondness at the back of Mankanshoku’s head. “Better to just enjoy the ride,”

As the three of them reentered the cacophony of the living room, Shiro couldn’t help feeling that this ride was less like a rollercoaster, and more like a car spinning out of control.

* * *

Before Houka could even reply to Satsuki’s lighthearted jab, Jakuzure had rushed passed him, and now had her arms thrown around Satsuki’s neck as they kissed. They broke apart, Jakuzure holding Satsuki’s blue-gray witch’s hat for her and smiling blissfully.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Satsuki told the three of them as she reached a little awkwardly over the side of Sanageyama’s ostrich to give him a quick hug.

“Of course not, you only ever arrive on time,” Sanageyama told her, his usual confident grin now replaced by a fond smile.

Then Satsuki turned to Houka and beckoned to him with open arms. Houka was generally not fond of such extreme physical affection, but Satsuki was one of the few people for whom he would make exceptions, and the only one present he was on speaking terms with. And he really needed a hug.

“I’ve missed you,” he said softly as he pulled her close.

“And I you,” she replied sweetly. But instead of let him go when they parted, she gripped his shoulders tightly, almost as though she was trying to prevent him from escaping. “Now, what’s this about you and Iori?”

“R-really, Satsuki, it’s nothing-” he stammered, turning pink and looking away.

“Inumuta, you don’t have to lie to me,” she told him with a knowing smile. “I know you and he have grown apart since we graduated. What I don’t understand is why you are not taking this opportunity to rekindle your relationship… especially since you were so keen on attending only after I mentioned he would be here,”

She winked at Houka, and he gulped.

“I had planned on doing just that, but… well, I may have been the cause of our distance,” he said, hanging his head like a scolded puppy. “And after seeing him and Gamagoori… I couldn’t do it.”

“Well, if _that_ is the case, you ought to apologize to him, tell him how much you regret your actions… and how much you miss him.” Satsuki could see the apprehension on his face, and held out her hand. “Come on, I’ll help you find him,”

Gratefully, he accepted her offer.

“Yeah… okay. Thank you, Lady Satsuki.”

Sanageyama and Jakuzure watched as the two of them left to go find Iori.

“So… Gamagoori and Iori huh?” Sanageyama mused, taking a bite out of a witch finger cookie, “I did _not_ see that one coming,”

“Damn dog stole my girlfriend,” grumbled Jakuzure.

* * *

Shiro had given up trying to resist and was now allowing himself to be led around by Mankanshoku like she was an overenthusiastic dog on his leash, Matoi continuing to bring up the rear. And yet somehow, despite the small size of the party’s venue, they had no luck finding Houka.

“Hey! Anyone seen Inumuta? We’ve got his friend here who wants to talk to him!” Mankanshoku shouted, but her calls went unheard, to Shiro’s relief.

“It’s the damn music,” Matoi said, “No one can hear a thing!”

Mankanshoku gasped.

“You’re right!” she exclaimed, and dragged Shiro over to the audio set up. _Oh no,_ Shiro thought. _Please don’t_.

* * *

Houka felt a little like a schoolboy holding his teacher’s hand as he and Satsuki weaved through the crowd. After a few minutes, however, they still had not found Shiro, which seemed impossible given that the living room was so tightly packed he had to imagine every single guest was right here.

He was about to suggest to Satsuki that maybe Shiro had already left, when the audio suddenly cut out in the middle of “[Dead Man’s Party](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McqlDCGXaUw).”

“Attention party people! We’re looking for someone!” A high-pitched voice shouted. _Is that the Mankanshoku girl?_ Houka thought. “He’s kinda tallish, wears funny glasses, and has bright blue hair! Has anyone seen him? His name is Inumuta!”

Houka turned bright pink as the crowd parted around him. And he saw, standing by the speakers with Matoi and Mankanshoku, Shiro, with his head in his hands, clearly just as embarrassed as Houka himself was. _He was looking for me? Why?_ Houka was paralyzed for a moment, more with confusion than anything, until he realized Satsuki was no longer holding his hand.

“Well, go ahead then,” she told him, smiling.

Houka walked towards Shiro, feeling the eyes of the crowd on him. Mankanshoku smiled at him cheerfully as ever, while Matoi gave a crooked smirk of approval and jabbed Shiro with her elbow. Shiro sighed with exasperation and looked up at Houka, resolve in his eyes.

“Hey,” they said at the same time, and both turned even redder.

“Hey,” Shiro said again, more softly this time. “Can we talk outside?”

Houka, still unsure why _Shiro_ would want to talk to _him_ , nodded mutely and followed Shiro out onto the front porch.

Once the two boys were outside, Mako spoke up again.

“Nothing to see here! Go back to your partying!” she shouted, and the music resumed.

Satsuki strode over to the other two girls.

“Hello, Ryuko,” she said warmly, wrapping her arms tightly around her younger sister.

“Hey, sis,” Ryuko replied as she happily returned the gesture, “You know, your friends really are a handful. I don’t know how you managed to keep those suckers in line for as long as you did,”

Satsuki chuckled lightly.

“You don’t know the half of it.”

* * *

Once Shiro and Houka were outside on the porch with the door closed safely behind them, Houka finally found his voice.

“I must admit, I’m a little confused. I can’t imagine what you might have to say to me, considering-”

“Just shut up and listen, please,” Shiro sighed, gripping his forearms tightly, staring at the ground. “I want to apologize.”

Houka was bewildered.

“What on earth do _you_ have to apologize for?”

“I… lied to you, earlier,” he said, seeming to be having trouble getting the words out. “Or, I implied something that was false. I’m not actually ‘together’ with Gamagoori,”

A brief expression of relief flitted across Houka’s face, though Shiro did not see it.

“O…kay? What does that have to do with me?”

Shiro’s face scrunched up with discomfort.

“Because I pretended to be to make you jealous.”

Houka’s eyes widened.

“Make me… jealous?” he said quietly, half to himself. Shiro pressed on.

“I was just… so hurt that you’d stopped talking to me, and when Satsuki told me you were going to the party, I got this idiotic idea that if I acted close with someone else who wasn’t you, it would make you realize you missed talking to me-”

“That’s just what I wanted to talk to you about!” Houka cut in.

“Really?” Shiro asked, looking up at him.

“Yes, I wanted to apologize to you for that. And,” Houka’s voice became soft. “Explain why.”

Shiro’s eyebrows raised in surprise, which Houka took as a signal to continue.

“Soon after graduation, I noticed something felt… off, when I talked to you. I had no idea what it was. Aside from no longer being physically near each other, everything was the same. And so I thought, what if it was the sameness that was the problem? Maybe I wanted to things to change between us. Maybe… I wanted us to be something beyond just friends.” Houka pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, blushing.

“Shiro, I realized I had feelings for you. And it scared me. Every confession scenario I ran in my head ended with me being rejected, and losing you as a result. I couldn’t bear that, so I decided I could never tell you. But it became so hard to talk to you without you knowing. I couldn’t stand the feeling of longing, the despair that we could never be together the way I wanted. I found it harder and harder to answer your video calls, and your texts, it was just too unbearable. And, eventually, I ceased all communication, in a pathetic attempt to protect myself.”

He reached out and gripped Shiro’s shoulders tightly, emerald eyes gazing into amber.

“But Shiro, I missed you. Every day, I missed seeing your face and hearing your voice. I missed you so much I decided it was worth it telling you how I felt, if it meant I could just be close to you again. That’s the only reason I showed up tonight, I was going to apologize to you and ask if we could try to just be friends again, only I got sidetracked by… Shiro?”

Shiro stared up at Houka, mouth hung slightly open, his eyes searching over Houka’s face. They stood in silence for a moment, Shiro processing all he’d just heard while Houka tried to decipher the expression on his face. Finally, Shiro spoke.

“You know, for a guy who’s supposed to be the most intelligent of all of us, you’re pretty damn stupid.”

With both hands Shiro grabbed ahold of the collar of Houka’s sweatshirt and pulled him into a kiss. For a split second Houka’s eyes were wide with surprise, before he decided he was more than happy with this unexpected development and joyously reciprocated. But after a blissful moment they broke apart, and his confusion took over again.

“I’m _stupid_!?” he asked breathlessly.

“Yes, you’re probably the world’s biggest idiot!” Shiro shouted back, throwing his arms into the air. “I was flirting with you literally _all_ of last year! And you thought I’d _reject_ you? You’re a complete dunce!”

Houka was stunned into silence once again as Shiro continued ranting.

“Oh my god. And I thought you had been flirting back, but you didn’t even _have_ feelings for me then! We’re both total dumbasses!”

Houka could tell he was spiraling, and shut Shiro up the only way he could think of - he pulled him into another kiss. The second lasted a little longer, Shiro cupping Houka’s face with both hands while Houka gripped Shiro’s waist to pull him closer.

“You’re not a dumbass at all, you were _right_ ,” Houka said softly after they separated again. “I _did_ have feelings for you back then, and I didn’t even realize it. I guess you knew me better than I knew myself,”

“Yeah, I… I guess I did,” Shiro shrugged, smiling genuinely for the first time in a while. Houka looked down at Shiro’s rather thin costume.

“Hey, aren’t you cold?”

“A little,” Shiro said. In fact, thanks to the fluttery warmth that had spread to every inch of his body the moment their lips met, he hadn’t actually noticed the chill until Houka mentioned it.

“Here,” Houka unzipped his sweatshirt and wrapped it around Shiro’s shoulders.

“Oh yes, by the way, an iron-on ghost on a plain white sweatshirt as your whole costume? You really are lost without me,” Shiro joked, pulling it on nonetheless.

“Careful now,” Houka laughed, pulling him into a hug.

“Hey, I think I’m allowed to poke a _little_ fun at you. _You_ ghosted _me_ , remember? You’ve got a lot of making up to do for that.” Shiro replied, resting his head on Houka’s chest. His tone of voice made it clear that “making up” would likely include a fair amount of making out.

“I will, I promise,” Houka said, kissing the top of Shiro’s head. “From now on, I’m all yours.”

Shiro hummed happily at the feeling of Houka’s lips on the crown of his head and the sound of his heart beating right underneath Shiro’s ear. Finally he was real again, tangible, able to be held. Finally he was _here_ , and it made Shiro’s heart soar.

For a long time they simply stood there, both content to remain in this embrace as long as possible. Aside from the muffled combination of party chatter and “[Werewolves of London](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDpYBT0XyvA)” emanating from inside the house, the neighborhood was quiet, and the night was beautifully clear, allowing moonlight to bathe the front porch. Both of them wanted nothing more at that moment than to simply relish the feeling of finally being close again, closer now than ever.

But eventually, Houka spoke up.

“Wait a minute,” he said, looking down at Shiro. “You said you came to the party… because Satsuki told you I was going to be here?”

“Yeah,” Shiro answered, brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Because _I_ only agreed to attend after she told me _you_ would be here…”

The two boys separated slightly, staring at each other as they realized what had happened. Simultaneously, they both turned to look through the window into the living room. Jakuzure, Sanageyama, Matoi, and Mankanshoku all quickly ducked down under the windowsill upon being caught spying, which both of them had expected. What they had not seen coming, however, was Satsuki sitting at the bar beside Gamagoori, smiling and toasting them with a cup of punch.

“She set us both up,” Houka chuckled. “Of course.”

Shiro smiled contentedly, closing his eyes as he leaned back into Houka’s embrace.

“That’s our Lady Satsuki.”

[ ](https://twitter.com/gingerslappin/status/1053758524864360448)

**Author's Note:**

> ive had these ideas for costumes for like a few years now and then one night at 1 am while i was trying to get to sleep i came up with "iori is matching with gama to make inu jealous" and somehow it became the longest fic ive ever written?
> 
> also, satsuki's costume is supposed to be a Luna Nova uniform! :D


End file.
